A rollicking return to Redwall

Ring the bells of Redwall Abbey—there’s another chronicle of Mossflower Wood! For those not familiar with the series, the Redwall novels are set in a fantasy world inhabited by intelligent mice, hares, shrews and more. Each tale almost invariably involves a conflict between “good” animals and various evil “vermin”—rats, stoats, weasels, ferrets and so...

Jacques' creepy collection

Comeuppance is the theme of the six stories in The Ribbajack, an eerie new collection from master storyteller Brian Jacques. School bullies, bratty kids, boastful fishermen and abusive uncles get their just desserts from an assortment of creatures: a Ribbajack, a ghost, a Kelpie, a latter-day Medusa, a mongoose and a werewolf.In the lead story, and the longest, Archibald Smifft, school bully...

A tiny hero's big adventures

Winter is a wonderful season to snuggle up in a big chair and let books take us traveling. It's also a good season for bears.Meet Urso Brunov, the Little Father of All Bears, and the wisest, strongest, bravest bear in the world. Now, Urso is very tiny, only the size of your thumb, but that doesn't keep him from having polar-bear-sized adventures.Brian Jacques, best known for the immensely...

Brian Jacques returns with a new entry in his nautical saga

"Call me Uncle Brian," says best-selling author Brian Jacques. Indeed, thanks to the familiarity and ease he exudes during a call to his home in England, it's hard not to think of him as family—a favorite uncle telling tall tales over Sunday dinner. Jacques' salty, strong Liverpool accent lends an added effect. He could easily be...

Another hit from Brian Jacques

Fans of fantasy and adventure will enjoy The Legend of Luke (Ages 9-12), the latest offering from Brian Jacques's Redwall series. Martin the warrior mouse is content with his extended family of mice, moles, hedgehogs, and other animals at Redwall Abbey. But when a visitor comes and sings a ditty about a warrior mouse named Luke, Martin wants to learn the fate of his long-lost parents (the song...

Audio Column by Sukey Howard

The medium to beat the tedium There's nothing like an interesting audio to take the Mommy, are we there yet out of travel so if you're packing the kids in the car for a late summer jaunt, don't be caught tapeless! Dominic (Listening Library, $16.98, 3 hours, ages 8 and up, 0807278939), William Steig's tale of the sweet dog who sets off on a trip to nowhere and finds adventures everywhere, is a...

Audio Column by Sukey Howard

The medium to beat the tedium There's nothing like an interesting audio to take the Mommy, are we there yet out of travel so if you're packing the kids in the car for a late summer jaunt, don't be caught tapeless! Dominic (Listening Library, $16.98, 3 hours, ages 8 and up, 0807278939), William Steig's tale of the sweet dog who sets off on a trip to nowhere and finds adventures everywhere, is a...

Audio Column by Sukey Howard

The medium to beat the tedium There's nothing like an interesting audio to take the Mommy, are we there yet out of travel so if you're packing the kids in the car for a late summer jaunt, don't be caught tapeless! Dominic (Listening Library, $16.98, 3 hours, ages 8 and up, 0807278939), William Steig's tale of the sweet dog who sets off on a trip to nowhere and finds adventures everywhere, is a...